Field of the Invention
The present invention refers to communication systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to the field of wireless or mobile telecommunication networks. Even more particularly, the present invention relates to the management of a direct communication (device-to-device communication or D2D communication) among mobile communication devices.
Overview of the Related Art
Generally, in a mobile (cellular) telecommunication network, communications among mobile communication devices (e.g., mobile telephones, smartphones and tablets)—generally referred to as User Equipment, or UE in brief—pass through the telecommunication network: two UE, connected to respective “serving” radio transceivers or “serving” cells of the network (e.g., radio transceivers of a same or different eNodeB—evolved Node B—in the 3GPP Long Term Evolution (LTE)/LTE Advanced (LTE-A) systems), communicate with each other by means of physical communication channel(s) that are set-up and terminated between the radio transceivers and the UE.
As an alternative to such traditional “2-hop” communication, which hereinafter will be also referred to as “cellular communication”, recently, UE have been made available that are also capable of communicating directly among them when they happen to be within a relatively short range.
This direct radio communication is commonly referred to as “Device-to-Device”, or D2D, communication and is based on D2D communication links directly established by two (or more) UE. D2D communication differs from the traditional cellular communication in that the information is exchanged through physical communication channels that are set-up and terminated between the UE directly, without passing through the network.
Particularly, the D2D communication links may be established by the UE independently from respective serving radio transceivers (or, in principle, even without a connection of the UE with a radio transceiver).
The D2D communication links between UE communicating directly are generally established over frequencies comprised in a communication frequency range used in the cellular communications. The network, i.e. the radio transceiver(s), usually have no control over D2D communications, and are unaware if any such D2D communication is taking place between UE in their geographic area of coverage. Therefore, non-negligible interference may be experienced by UE performing cellular communications in the proximities of UE performing D2D communications and, particularly, when the UE perform cellular communications over the same and/or neighboring frequencies used for D2D communication links; vice-versa, the UE performing D2D communications may experience interference due to nearby UE performing cellular communication over the same or neighboring frequencies.
The mutual interference experienced by UE performing cellular communications and UE performing D2D communications cause an overall degradation of both the cellular and D2D communications.
Some expedients for mitigating the above-mentioned problem have been proposed in the art.
For example, US 2010/0009675 discloses apparatus, methods and computer programs to establish device-to-device communications in a wireless network. A method includes sending an initiation message from a first device to initiate device-to-device communication with a second device; receiving a message indicating a request for setting up radio resources for device-to-device communication; sending a message to the second device, the message including a request to set up resources for device-to-device communication and, in response to establishing device-to-device communication with the second device using the resources, sending an acknowledgment that device-to-device communication is established.
US 2012/0258703 discloses a solution for detection and evaluation of device-to-device (D2) potential prior to the establishment of a cellular connection between communicating mobile devices. Cellular radio access network information of an originating mobile device is obtained from a received session establishment message of session initiation signaling of cellular data communication. The obtained cellular radio access network information of the originating mobile device is compared with acquired cellular radio access network information of a terminating mobile device. Based on the comparison, it is detected whether the proximity between the originating mobile device and the terminating mobile device suffices to allow local cellular device-to-device data communication between the originating mobile device and the terminating mobile device.
WO 2011/047956 discloses methods, apparatuses, and systems for facilitating device-to-device connection establishment. A method may include directing broadcast of an indication of a device-to-device registration area identification in each of one or more cells forming a device-to-device registration area identified by the device-to-device registration area identification. The method may further include directing receipt of a device-to-device registration request originated by a first terminal apparatus in response to the broadcast indication. The first terminal apparatus may be located within the registration area. The method may additionally include registering the first terminal apparatus based at least in part upon the device-to-device registration request. Corresponding apparatuses and systems are also provided.
WO 2012/114161 discloses devices and methods for determining the proximity of client nodes within a wireless-enabled communication environment. A first client node comprises a database containing identification data associated with a plurality of wireless network access nodes and fingerprint data associated with the client node and a plurality of second client nodes. As the fingerprint information is updated, it is processed by the first client node to identify second client nodes that have matching, or similar, fingerprint information. Those that do are determined to be within a viable device-to-device (D2D) communication range.
WO 2010/049801 discloses an apparatus, system and method to dynamically manage an allocation of communication resources for direct device-to-device communications between a plurality of wireless communication devices in a wireless communication system. In one embodiment, the apparatus includes a communication resource allocator configured to: select a master communication device of a plurality of wireless communication devices that form a device-to-device group, provide an allocation of communication resources for device-to-device group that facilitate direct device-to-device communications therebetween. The apparatus also includes a message generator configured to assemble messages that include the allocation of the communication resources.
WO 2012/015698 discloses techniques for supporting peer-to-peer (P2P) communication in a wide area network (WAN). In an aspect, interference coordination between P2P devices engaged in P2P communication and WAN devices engaged in WAN communication may be performed based on a network-controlled architecture. For the network-controlled architecture, P2P devices may detect other P2P devices and/or WAN devices and may send measurements (e.g., for pathloss, interference, etc.) for the detected devices to the WAN (e.g., serving base stations). The WAN may perform resource partitioning and/or association for the P2P devices based on the measurements. Association may include selection of P2P communication or WAN communication for a given P2P device. Resource partitioning may include allocation of resources to a group of P2P devices for P2P communication. The WAN may send the results of association and/or resource partitioning to the P2P devices, which may communicate in accordance with the association and/or resource partitioning results.
WO 2011/036507 provides methods and apparatus, including computer program products, for selecting between a device-to-device link and a 2-hop cellular link. In one aspect there is provided a method. The method may include monitoring, at a user equipment, a paging signal, the paging signal including a random access preamble index assigned to another user equipment. The user equipment may be configured to use the random access preamble index assigned to the another user equipment, and receive a signal comprising a random access preamble. The user equipment may measure the received signal to generate an indication representative of a quality of the received signal. Based on the indication rather than a dedicated probe, a determination may be made regarding whether to establish a first connection directly to the another user equipment. Related apparatus, systems, methods, and articles are also described.